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Safsal's Person of the Year - Shay Doron!
Lior Klinger
,09/23/2006 |
She swept Maryland to an unforgettable championship, and left no chance whatsoever to her competitors in Safsal's Person of the Year poll. Shay Doron received an amazing and unprecedented 49.8% of the votes and we are proud to announce today, the Jewish New Year, that she is our woman of the year. An interview with Doron and the full results are inside.
Happy new years!
'What better way to win a national championship than in overtime?" Shay Doron asked her teammates at the time out after Maryland forced overtime against Duke in the championship game. Our person of the year poll had a tad less suspense, but a landslide is a pretty good way to win a survey.
The 2nd annual 'Safsal's person of the year' poll ran from September 1st until September 23rd, which is the Jewish New Year. Hebrew reading voters were able to vote once a day. A look at last year's result could provide some perspective just how incredible the support of Doron has been this season. Israel's men's national team coach, Zvika Sherf, won last year with 19% which was good for 438 votes. Doron, by the way, finished 2nd last year with 346 votes. Crazy what a national championship does to a player.
Click here for the full results
It started with a 41-point win over Sacred Heart. The 2nd round was tougher than expected against St. John's, only 81-74. The next hurdle was the defending champs from Baylor, the Terps ran them over by 19 points. Only Utah stood between Maryland and the Final Four, and the Terps worked overtime for the ticket to Boston. In the Final Four, two very familiar #1 seeds awaited. How did Doron put it back then? "We even know what they had for breakfast". In the semis Maryland proved once again they have North Carolina's number and sent them home. The final against Duke was the ultimate sports drama. The underdog came back from a 12-point halftime deficit, the Terps' game MVP – Shay Doron – was injured at the most critical time and made a heroic return to the court, Kristi Toliver's wild 3 sent the game to overtime. The overtime queens prevailed with a 78-75 win.
When I told her that she has won our person of the year poll with nearly 50% of the votes, Shay Doron was a little speechless. "I wasn't expecting this… not at all" she said, very surprised. "I want to thank everyone who voted for me, I'll try not to disappoint you next year too. I hope to fulfill my dream and be the first Israeli to play in the WNBA. Every day when I hear things like this it helps me, it keeps me motivated to succeed for myself and for all the people who support me. It's really fun to hear things like this."
Who is your person of the year in Israeli sports and basketball?
"Shachar Peer could easily be the women of the year in sports. In basketball, Yotam Halperin could be.
What is your most memorable moment from this past year?
"When the buzzer went off, I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. I never thought I would cry of joy, and I was surprised. I cried from joy. These 3 years haven't been easy, nobody believed in us and it was so much fun to disappoint everybody. Until the last second nobody thought we would win, it was an amazing feeling."
Tell us a bit about what you've been through since you won the title
"We still get recognized on the street, people ask for autographs, say 'hey Shay', 'hey Crystal' [Langhorn], everybody. We get recognized and people are proud of us everywhere we go. It's great to see that it's not just us who care about women's basketball, there are a lot of people who care and watched the game, and it's a lot of fun.
Other than that of course we met the President, got rings and clothes. I have shoes that say "Final Four", how cool is that? All kinds of cool things that happen every day, like a girl or a boy that come up to me and say what a great game it was, it's fun to hear those things."
Can you describe the Final Four experience? There's nothing like it in European basketball. Many people watched it on TV but obviously it's not the same
"I've never been there as a viewer, but my grandparents came here especially for the tournament and they said they've never seen anything like it, in their lives. It's a different atmosphere with the fans and the noise, nearly 20,000 fans. Plus everything they sell there, t-shirts and caps that say Maryland, it's a real business."
Do you still think about the championship game sometimes?
"I think that almost every day, something reminds me of it. That day, those two weeks, the victory experience, cutting down the nets… every day someone or something reminds me. Our school bought the court of the Final Four and they hung it at the hallway of our arena. Everyday we walk passed it, to lift weights, to practice, and you see it… it's something that will never be forgotten here."
They say it's harder to defend a title than to win it the first time. Do you think that's true? How do you like your chances of a repeat?
"I don't know cause I haven't been in this situation before, but I think it will be a lot tougher than last year. Not that it wasn't extremely tough last year. Ask me that next year.
The repeat chances are there, the talent is there, a lot is going to be up to us. How we play, will we stick together as a team. If we do what we did last season our chance is very good. We have a lot to improve on but you never know, on a given day any team can beat any team."
What's an average day like for you these days?
"Right now? A lot of classes. I'm in class from morning until noon, then it's practice for 3-4 hours, and then class again. In the evening it's either study or sleep, one of the two. It's not fun but the next semester will be easier. For now that's the way it is."
Do you feel any different now that you know this is your last year at Maryland?
"I try not to feel somehow different, but I am a little sad that my 4 years here are going to end and I have no idea what's going to happen with me next year. It's scary, it's different and it's sad but on the other hand I think I'm ready. I feel ready to move on and hope I have bigger things to do. Move on to the real world, it's sad but I try to enjoy every day that I'm here and do the best I can until that's it, it's over."
Will we see you play for the Israeli national team in the future?
"Yes, I hope so, that's my plan. Right now I'm here in college and my commitments are here but the plan is to play for the national team. I don't know where I'll be next year but the plan is to play for the national team."
What do you wish for yourself and to Israel for the new year?
"For Israel just one thing, no actually two. Peace of course, somehow, doesn't matter how - peace. Secondly when I was in Israel in the summer, and I drove, it was scary to drive! Everyone is so stressed out on the road, we need to take life with a little more ease and smile a lot more. There is no life after this, we need to enjoy this life. Be calmer towards each other. We need peace with other countries but we also need peace inside, between us.
For myself I wish health and health for my family, that's the most important thing, nothing else matters. Just health and peace for the country, my country."
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